Hollow tile block



0 Dec. 8, 1934- I F. A. HOLBY 1,984,972

I HOLLOW TILE BLOCK Filed Sept. 29, 1933 I flame J9. 170.14

Patented Dec. 18, 1934 *UNITED STATES lib-972;

, noLLow TILE BLOCK 7 5 "Frank A. Holby, New. York, N. .Y., fassignor to 'New. Jersey Clay Products, Incl," New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application spwmb r 29 1933, Serial No; 691,538 ,1 Claim. 'gol. 72- 6 block.

The principal object of the present inventionf is to provide a hollow tile'block which is so-con- Because of the fact that in the blocks now used, the upper, lower and central webs are parallel,

the breakage of'any portion of these webs will cause the entire block to be weakened. For example, if any part of the upper 'Web 'is broken away, theblock will be correspondingly weak ened; After abuilding has been entirely constructed, it is frequently necessary to lay pipingor other conduitsin the flooring. In order to'provide a channel forthe piping or conduit, it is usual to cut throughthe flooringor ceiling and to break away portions ,of either the upper or lower webs of the blocksiso that, the' piping or] conduit may be placed within the'space provided in the blocks. This naturally results in a weak-' ening of the entire floor structure.

The block of the present invention includes an arched central web, preferably of concave-convex formation, instead of the usual central web extending parallel with the upper and lower webs. The provision of an arch in the block permits either the upper or lower webs to be partially broken away without in any way affecting the strength of the block and the flooring of which it forms a part.

Hollow tile blocks including arched webs, either concavo-convex or arranged in truss formation, have heretofore been provided, but, in these structures, the curved web or the webs of truss formation have been so arranged with respect to the upper and lower webs of the block that portions thereof merge with or intersect either the upper and lower webs, or both. With the block constructed in that manner, it has been possible to break away only certain portions of the upper and lower webs, these portions being those which are farthest removed from the point of intersec- The present invention relates toa hollow'tile tion or -merger of the upper or lower webs with the curved or truss webs. 3

Individualhollow tile blocks arranged to bea s; sembled in such a manner thatthey will "co act to form an arch, have alsobeen heretofore provided. In this type of construction," each' blocki of the arch is arched and the blocks are generally of a diiferent formation in order that the'com pleted arch will have the desiredform. j Each. block, therefore, requires a mold of an'individual shape for its production. Also, in the construe: tion of the arch, the blocks must be placed'in the proper arrangement and a form must be constructed to support the blocks while setting them. Such blocks are naturallymore expensive in PIG? duction and the time and extra material required for their assembly affects the f'cost of the building in which they are used. In anyevent, blocks of this type have only faj specializedfuse, and can-f not beincluded inja flooring of the usual type. Another importantobject oftheinvention is to provide a hollow tile block including an arched web, which block is so designed that it may'be* used in the ordinary typeof fiat floor construetion and Whichis inexpensive'in manufacture, and may be readily positioned inthefiooringu. j

Another important object .of' the inventionliis to provide a hollow tileflblock including anarch'edjf Web, which web is so arranged within the block} that itjcannot be fracturedby cutting .of aiich an' -j; nel at any point on theuppe'r and'lower surfaces, of the'block which c'an'be? r'eached'from"the corresponding surfaces of the flooring.

The provision of an arched web within a block in such a manner that every point of thisweb will be spaced from the upper and lower webs, is of particular importance because of the fact that when an initial out is madeinthe flooring, the person making the out has no way of knowing the exact position of the individual blocks in the flooring and therefore, if blocks of the prior art type are used, may inadvertently cut into either the springing point or highest point of the curved web or truss web used in the block.

Other objects, and advantages of the invention will appear from the following specification and drawing. I r

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view, in section, showing a flooring constructed of the blocks of my invention, and

Figure 2 is a view,in perspective, showing one of the blocks of the invention.

The numeral 10 generally designates the block of my invention, which block comprises upper and 18 of the arched web 13 are spaced somewhat above the lower web 12 of the blockzaandzzthat;

the highest point of the arched web 13 is spaced downwardly along the central? vertical "web 16" from the upper web 11.

As is shown in Figure 1, 1n the construction of flooring by means of a block'..constructed.zinsacs cordance with my invention,

structures thearrangement of. the supporting shoulders OIL/the blocks. and the inwardly inclinedssidewall's 14 land. 15 permitting the blocks to be readily, positioned between the supporting means..20.;

Allayer r 21-;of 'Iconcrete1.may be r poured .lover andb'etween the blocks after they have been posi-l tionedbetweenathe supportingbeams anda coating,'22jmay also be appliedtothe lowersurface of the blocks to form. a ceiling.

Afterlthe blocks-have been securedin position by..concrete, should. itb'ec.omenecessaryto .place. conduits .or piping in the flooring, achannel 'maybe. out either in the flooring. 21or ceiling 22,.

whichttchannel' may extend through the upper or lower. webs of the block's. In Figure 1, a. pipe or conduit'is shown .laid in the upper portion of. one of ith'e blocks, betweenthecentral' verticali web 16"and .the next. adjacent verticalfweb' 17."

If, during the. operatio'n' of b'reaking away. the pprtion of-lth'e upper web llbetween the vertical webs'16'and1'7;' a portion of either web .16 'or,17' should be broken, such breakage will not extend I into thearchedweb 13 to thereby weaken this web: In other words,' because"the highest point of the arched web 13 is spaced beneath the upper web 11;,there:is sufficientspace between these two web'sto permit ofiarange of errorin breaking into thefblock'. It will be appreciated that this/featureis of"considerable importance, parthe supporting. shoulders at the lower side edges of the block restwuponcthelower. angled flangesrofisupporting members 20 of "the type generallyused.-in-.such= ticularly since it is difficult, in actual practice, to break the flooring and block in a straight line. Also, when the initial cut is made in the flooring, the person making the cut does not know the exact position of the vertical webs in the floor- 5 ing. It is often necessary to laypiping or conduits in such a way that the vertical webs must be partially broken away. This can obviously be done without any way yweakeningrsthe rblocks through which the piping extends.

Figure 1 also shows, at 31, a piping or conduit laid'in the lower portion of the block between the side.-'=wall'.'15 and the vertical web 17. Because the springingpoint of the arched web 13 is spaced abovethelowersweb ilz no portion of the arched 5 web, will',be'brokenby the cutting of a channel in the lower webof the block.

' Th'ereiis ialsoicillustrated, at 32 in Figure 1, a pipe or.conduit laid in the upper portion of one of the'blocks between the side wall 14 and the 20 adjacent .vertical web-17. I 7

It will be understood from the above that-thew webs A or sidewalls Ofath6- blocks. of my-invention may bebroken. into "at any point which may .be reached from the upperor I lower surface ofthe. 5 flooring or block-without. fracturing the archedweb of .the'. block and. thereby weakening; the block. Furthermore, no channel cut at such pointsican weakenthe block Theresult isthat; aflooring. formed. of. the. blocks. .of the invention 30 willlbe equally as .strong,=.with a. channel .cut at any portion which can be reached "fromnthe up.- per. andrlower surfaces of the flooring, as asblock of the usual. "construction.

Itis to be.understoodLthatthe. invention is: 35 not limited to the .de'tailsof construction--sh'own in the drawing and 'describedin .thespecification andthat theexample, given doesnotincludeall of-fth'e usesof which it' is. capable; also-. that.the-

phraseology. employed in. .the...specification for: 40'

webs, an arched web joining). the sidewalls, each...

side .wall including a shoulder .adj acent. one outer web, the .springihgpointof the archedweb being. between-the shoulders and the opposite. outerweb, the shouldersbeing ,..adapted 'lto..bear. upon supporting members, andthe body; portion. ofthe;

archedjweb being spaced from the outenwebs.

. FRANKYA. HOLBY." 

